Plug-coil.



UNITED STATES PATENT,

ERNEST C. WILCOX AND BURTON L. LAWTCN, 0F MERIDEN, "CONNECTICUT; LSSIGNOB TO THE CONNECTICUT TELEPHONE AND ELECTRICCO KPANYQOF MERIDEN, GON- NECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 11, .1911- Scrial 110.359.7232. 1

invented certain new and-useful Improve-.

ments in Plug-Coils, of which the following is a full, clear, and- .exact description Our invention relates to ignition mechanism-for hydrocarbon engines, and is particularly concerned with improvementsin the construction and; arrangement ofthe sparking electrodes and the mcans for enerv gizing the same.

The object of the invention is to provide a convenient and compact arrangement inwhichthe liabilitytoleakage is practically eliminated. ",A further object is to provide a construc tion -.in.,which all of. the sparking elements mayibe. mounted. withinaor .upon a single compactcasing. I

it object is to so construct the device that it is practically waterproof, and may be used, therefore, under conditions which would :be prohibitive for the ordinary ignition apparatus now in common use With these and other objects in view as will appear from the. following description,

the invention consists in a construction and arrangement-0f parts, the preferred em-' bodiment of which is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete device Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view in the plane of the drawing showing the interior arrangement of the elements, and with the cap or cover plate removed.

In the embodiment of our invention herein selected for illustration, 1 indicates the main casing of the device, which is provided at one end with an end plate 2 upon which a vibrator of the usual construction is mounted. The main casing 1 is made of insulating material, preferably of hard rubher, and within said casing is mounted a spark coil comprising the primary 4 and secondary 5. One end of the primary is connected at 6 with a binding screw 7 extending to the outside of the casing. The opposite end of the primary is connected at 8 with i the. bridge of the vibrator 3, said bridge engagement with'the contact l0. on the or maturell. 'Thearmature 11 is connected. at

Patented Aug. 27, 19-12.

lQWVlthEQIlG side of the condenserj13,- the qpposite side of the vibrator-beingconnected at 14 .withthe opposite side of-the-com denser. The armature is also connccted at 15 with a contactscrewior post 16 which in turn may be connected with an ordinary timer.

opposite' terminalvcf the secondary is connected at .18 Withnficontact member .19

One terminal of-the secondary- 5 1s connected with the primary at 17, and-themountedin an insulating plate 20, which hes gust within the-end plate. 21 of 'tho casing opposite the'end .p1ater2; This and plate '21 is providodwith a threaded. bossor nipple 22. Upon this nipple may be mount ed a threadedoonnector 23 having a shoulder 24. One of the sparking electrodes 25 is i mounted. within an insulating, and preferably porcelain, tubeor casin 26., said casin having a shoulder27 adap to be engage by the shoulder 24.01? the connector, and a second shou1deri28- adapted to rest upon the outer edge of the nipple 22.. .Sui-table expansible packing rings. 29. and 30 may be interposed between the shoulders of the electrode tube and the shoulders of the nipple and connector to'hold said electrode firmly in position and .render the connection thereof withthe spark coil-casing waterproo- The innerendof the electrode tube. is pro vided. with: a springcontact 31 connected 7. with 'tl1c'elect-rode'25 and adapted. in be seated in contact with the contact .membcr- 19 when the .parts are assembled in opera five-position. The opposite electrode 32 is mounted upon the connector as usual, and is grounded when the device is mounted uponthe engine .eylindcn.

- In'order to'protect the spark coil generally from the heating efieots of the engine cylinder, we place an asbestos disk 20' and.

preferably'also one or more mica disks 20 over the inner side of the contact saipportin plate 20, whereby the condenser and 00 within the casing are efi'ectually protected. It will be understood, of. course, that the secondary connection 18 passes between the contact supporting plate and the asbestos disk 31 to the contact 19. The vibrator is also effectually protected by means of the cap or cover plate 33, which is provided with an internal shoulder 34 adapted to rest against the periphery of the casing cap 2. Said casing cap 2, furthermore, is secured to the body of the casing by means preferably of screws 35, and the cover 33 is provided at its edge with bayonet locking slots 36, which tend to draw the shoulder 34: snugly into engagement with the periphery of the cap plat/3 2. Hence the vibrator is effectually protected against moisture and the like. The oppositeend plate 21 is provided with a peripheral flange 21 having preferably a driving fit within the end of the casing 1,

and in order to render the joint more watertight and impart the desired finish to the device, the flanged ferrule 37 is provided,

which fits within a rabbeted portion 38 of the end of the casing, the flange extending over the endof the casing and embracing the edge of the flange 21. The flange 21' of the plate 21 and the ferrule 37 may be riveted through and through the end of the casing, or secured together by suitable screws threaded through from the outside and into the ferrule 37. By the above described construction of the ends of the easing, it will beseen that the casing itself may be rendered entirely waterproof and the vibrator is also protected from moisture.

In the operation of the device, the parts shown in the drawings having been completely assembled, the threaded connector 23 is screwed to the engine cylinder in the usual manner, the contact screw 7 is connected with a battery or otherf source of electrical energy, and the contact screw 16- is connected to the usual timer. When current from-the source of energy is conveyed through the contact 7 and connections, the usual high tension sparking effects will take place between the electrodes25 and 32. It will be seen that by the compact arrangement of the device and the proximity of the spark coil and the sparking electrodes, very little waste will occur as the electrical .energy passes to the electrodes, for the reason that the current from the'sour'ce of energy to the sparking device is a low tension current, and hence there is less tendency to leakage. Furthermore, the high tension current for sparking purposes is generated practically at the electrodes, that is to say,

the connection between the secondary of the ing casing having a spark coil and condenser therein with suitable connectionsextending to the outside of said casing, a-cap removably mounted upon and tightly inclosing one end of said casing and carrying a vibrator adapted to be connected to said spark coil, sparking electrodes mounted u on said casing, suitable electrical connections ,for said parts, and a removable coverior said cap havinga tight frictional engagement therewith.

2. A self-contained sparking unit comprising, in combination, a tubular moisture excluding casing, a spark coil and a condenser mounted within said casing, a cap removably mounted upon one end of said casing andcarrying a vibrator adapted to be connected with said spark coil, sparkin electrodes mounted upon the opposite en of said casin and electrically connected with said spar coil, a removable cover for said-cap having a frictional moisture excluding connection therewith, and binding posts connected with said sparkcoil and extending to the outside of said casing.

3. A self-contained sparking unit com prising, in combination, a tubular moisture excluding casing .having an open end, a spark coil and condenser within said casing, a cap removably mounted upon and tightly inclosing the open end of said casing and carrying a vibratoradapted tobe connected with said spark coil, a spark plug at the other end of said casing having a tight moisture excluding connection therewith, electrical connections extending from said coil tothe exterior of the casing, a' removable cover for said cap having a frictional moisture excluding connectiontherewith, and

suitable electrical connections between said vibrator, coil, condenser and sparking electrodes whereby a low tension current may be conveyed to said spark coil and a high tension current generatedclosely adjacent to the sparking electrodes.

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4. .A. self-contained sparking unit comprising, in' combination, a tubular casing having a single compartment therein and w an open end, a suitably connected spark coil and condenser'within said compartment, a cap removably secured to the open end of said'casing having a vibrator mounted on its I outer 'face adapted for connection with said spark coil, a removable cover forsaid cap and vibrator having a frictional moisture excludingmonnection with said cap, and a removable spark plug secured to the oppo site end of saidcasing in electrical connection with said spark coil and having a tight moisture excluding connection with said casing.

5. A self-contained sparking unit comprising, in combination, a tubular casing having a single compartment therein and an open end, a suitably connected spark coil and condenser within said compartment, a

therein cooperating with said headed screws to dctachably lock said cover to said cap, and a spark plug at the other end of said casing and detachably secured thereto and 15 having a tight moisture excluding connection therewith.

ERNEST C. WILCOX. BURTON L. LAWTON. Witnesses:

G. H. DUTTON, A. B. COSMAN. 

